Method and apparatus for coupling a washing machine with a centrifugal drier



A. C. SCHMELZER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COUPLING A WASHING MACHINE WITHA CENTRIFUGAL DRIFR Filed June 7, 1955 Mgr-ch 23, 1937.

INVENToR ,Y HNra/v c'- srl/M5L 2ER Ul l Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFlCE UGAL DRIER Anton C. Schmelzer, Cleveland, Ohio`Application June 7, 1935, Serial No. 25,456

8 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in amethod and apparatus for coupling a drier and a wringer-type washingmachine, so that the drier substitutes the wripger and is driven by themechanism employed for driving the wringer.

In wringer-type washing machines anupwardly extended wringer driveshaft, which is coupledwwith the drive mechanism, operates a wringergear box, rotatably supported upon a tubular guard of the wringer driveshaft. Some of the wringer'etype washing machines also permit of jointyuncoupling of the wringer gear box and the wringen from the wringerdrive shaft and itsv guard and this fact is utilized for couplinglaundry appliancesiironers, driers, etc.) with the wringer drive shaftby interchanging the wringer gear box and its wringer with suchappliances. However this coupling of washing machines with laundryappliances has certain disadvantages,

`which materially restrict the commercial use of these appliances. Thusonly a limited number of the wringer-type washing machines permit ofuncoupling of gear box and wringer therefrom; then the appliances to becoupled with the wringer drive' shaft in the way above referred to mustinclude coupling means adapted to fit the machine to which the applianceis to be attached; furthermore the appliances must be carried andsupported by the tubular guard of the wringerdrivegshaftgand thisloftencausesthe washingk machine tobecome unbalanced and topheavy; finally theassembly proceedings for coupling the appliances to a washing machineare fdiiicult, it being. necessary to'raise the applianceslsubstantial1y above the washing machine, so as to permit thev couplingmember being extended into and seated upon the tubular guard, and thewringer drive shaft `being coupled with the coupling shaft of saidmember.

' `It is the primary object of the present invention to provide asimplified method and coupling means for coupling a wringer'type washingma chine with a centrifugaly drier, which method and 3 coupling meansare markedly dierent from pres- `ently known methods and constructionsin that the coupling method embodies steps which permit of a couplingbetween the wringer'gear box of a washing machine and a drier, and in.that the coupling means do not include a coupling member `extended intoor sleeved upon, and seated upon the tubular guard of the wringer driveshaft of a wringer-type washing machine.

In addition this invention has certain other marked superiorities whichradically distinguish it from the presently known arrangements abovereferred to. 'I'hese improvements or superior characteristics embodyingcertain novel features of construction and combination of parts andcertain new steps in coupling a wringer-type washing machine to anextractor are clearly set forth in the following specification and theappended claims; and a preferred form of embodiment of the invention ishereinafter shown with reference to the accompanying drawing formingpart of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a washing machine and a drying apparatus coupled accordingto the invention.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged sectional view through the coupling connectingthe wringer drive shaft of a washing machine with the drive shaft of anextractor. y

Fig. 3 through 5 show the coupling elements connecting the wringer driveshaft and the drive "20 shaft of the drier prior to their assembly.

Thus Fig. 3 shows the pivotally supported gear box arranged abovethe topof the drier;

Fig. 4 shows` the sleeve coupling and alignment element for the gear boxof the drier and the 25 Wringer gear box, and l Fig. 5 shows the wringergear box with the wringer removed therefrom.

. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the legs. of `theself supporting drier and i Fig. 7 is a cross sectional View through thebracket member connecting the washing machine and the drier, the sectionbeing taken on line 'l--l of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional View on line 8-8 of i Fig. 3, showing thearrangement for clamping `the gear box to the housing.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2 denotesa tub or washing receptacle of any suitable construction, which tub issupported on legs 3 and closed at its top by means ofa removable coverd. Within the receptacle 2 and at the bottom thereof is an agitator 5including a sleeve portion 6 sleeved upon and suitably keyed to avertical shaft l, in turn driven from a motor 8. A horizontally disposedmain drive shaft 9, leading from motor 8, drives over a worm drive I 0the wringer drive shaft Il, and .a rack bar l2, meshing with a gear onshaft l' and oscillated by an eccentric pin I3 on the worm drive I0,oscillates the agitator 5.

The wringer drive `shaft Il and its enclosing tubing I4 lead upwardly toa gear casing I5, which' casing sleeves over and is supported by saidtubing. This gear casing carries gearing for actuating the driven shaftI6, which shaft is normally coupled with the bottom or drive roller of awringer, not shown. Thus a pair of bevel gears I1, I1', loosely mountedupon the upper end of the wringer drive shaft II normally engages withthe upper and lower faces of a gear I8, which gear is fixed to thedriven shaft I6 by a pin I9. A square outer end on the shaft I6 permitsof the shaft being detachably coupled with the lower or drive roll ofthe wringer, when attached to the gear box. The inner ends of the gearsI1, I1 are provided with clutch faces 2I, 2 I' adapted to be engaged bycorresponding clutch faces on the ends of an interposed clutch collar22, which is splined upon the shaft II to rotate therewith with freedomto move endwise into and out of engagement with the clutch faces 2I, 2|.

A rock shaft 23 journaled in a suitable bearing 24 carries at its innerend an eccentrically mounted roller 25, which rides in an annular groove26 in the clutch collar 22 and is adapted to adjust the collar axiallyinto and out of engagement with the gears I1, I1 respectively, and ahandle 21 on shaft 23 affords convenient means for operating said shaft.

'I'he tubing I4, which encloses the wringer drive shaft I I, isconnected to the tub 2 by means of a bracket 28 and a reduction gearingbox 29. The washing machine is coupled with a centrifugal drier 3|,including a drive mechanism M, which mechanism is driven from thesquared end of the coupling shaft I8 by means of a drive shaft 32. Thisdrier embodies a tank 33, seated upon and secured to the top of a drivehousing 34, which housing encloses the drive mechanism M. The drivemechanism in turn supports and is coupled with a rotary basket 35 withintank 33, all as clearly illustrated and described in my copendingapplication Ser. No. 688,513, filed June 11, 1934. The drive housing 34is mounted on legs 36 having casters 31, which legs are secured to thehousing in any common manner. These legs are adjustable in height topermit of vertical adjustment of the drier for horizontal alignment ofthe respective shafts of the washing machine and the drier as will belater described. Thus each leg 36 slidably supports in its bottom plate38 a threaded standard 39, held in adjusted position by nuts 40, 40', soas to permit of vertical shifting of the standard with respect to thebottom plate.

The drive mechanism M is driven by means of a drive shaft 4I, enclosedin a tubing or housing 42, which is supported at its opposite endsadjacent one side of the tank 38 in a bracket 43 and the top of thedrive housing 34. The upper end of this shaft is connected with anddriven by a Vgear box 45 which box is swiveled upon the upper end of thetubing 42. The gear box 45 has a lateral extension 44 for the driveshaft 32, which shaft is carried in bearings 46, 41 in said extensionand is coupled with the shaft I6 of the wringer gear box I by means of acoupling member 48. A tubular alignment member 49, sleeved upon theextension 44 of the gear box 45 and the coupling member 48, aligns theshafts I6 and 32 and their respective gear boxes I5 and 45. Preferably,as shown, the member 49 carries an end plate 50, which is secured to theopen end of gear box I5 for closing same instead of the wringer frame,when a wringer is secured to the wringer gear box. The describedconstruction permits of axial adjustments of the shaft 32 with respectto the shaft I6.

When it is desired to couple a wringer-type washing machine with acentrifugal drier, the wringer of the washing machine is disconnectedfrom its wringer gear box and the drier is placed opposite the washingmachine and adjusted to proper height by adjusting its legs 36 until theshaft 4I is arranged in the horizontal plane of the shaft I6. Then thetwo shafts are axially aligned by rotation of the gear box 45 andcoupled with each other by the coupling member 48. Thereafter thecoupling member 49 is shifted toward the wringer gear casing I5 andsecured thereto by means of bolts 5I securing the plate 50 to the gearbox I5, it being understood that the plate 50 fits the particular typeof gear box to which it is to be secured. Finally the gear box isrigidly secured to the housing 42 by forcing the slotted end 64 of thehousing into clamping contact with the cylindrical extension 65 of thegear box 45. The extension 65 extends into the bearing housing 42 andtherefore will be rigidly held by said housing, when a nut 66 is screwedhome. This nut cooperates with a number of threaded tapered segments 61welded to or in any suitable manner secured to the slotted end 64 of thebearing housing, that is to the nger portions 68 formed by slotting saidhousing.

The thus coupled washing machine and drier are rigidly connected to eachother by means of a bracket 52 secured to the tubular guard I4.

and the tubular bearing housing member 42. This bracket comprises twoparts 53 and 54, each of which includes a tube clamping seat 55, 56 anda clamping plate 51, 58 respectively, adapted to receive the respectivemembers I4 and 42 and tightly grip same, when nuts 49 of bolts 60 arescrewed home. The two parts 53 and 54 overlap each other with their freeends and the part 53 is axially slotted as at 6I to permit of lateraladjustments of the coupling seats 55, 56 with respect to each otheruntil bolts 62, extended through the slot 6I in part 53 and through thepart 54 are tightened. Interchangeable, preferably iianged splitbushings 63, mounted in the clamping seat 55 of the part 53 permit ofproper gripping of the tubular guard I4 of different Washing machines,should these guards be of different size and cross section.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a coupling between a wringer-type washing machine and acentrifugal drier driven means on said drier, means for coupling saiddriven means with the wringer supporting gear box of the washingmachine, and means connected to and laterally extending from saidwringer gear box for holding said driven means in alignment with saidwringer gear box.

2. In a coupling between a wringer-type washing machine and acentrifugal drier, driven means on said drier, means for coupling saiddriven means with the wringer supporting gear box of the washingmachine, and means connected to and laterally extending from saidwringer gear box and aligned with said driven means and said couplingmeans and axially shiftable with respect thereto for holding said drivenmeans in alignment with said Wringer gear box.

3. In a coupling between a wringer-type washing machine and acentrifugal drier horizontally arranged rotatable means coupled with thedrive mechanism of the drier, pivotally arranged supporting means forsaid rotatable means mounted on said drier, means for coupling saidrotatable means with the wringer gear box of said ,washing machine, andmeans supported upon said pivotally arranged supporting means andconnected to the casing of said gear box for holding said casing andsaid pivotally arranged supporting means in alignment.

ll. A coupling as described in claim 3, wherein said alignment meansconnected to said casing of the gear box are slidably engaged with saidpivotally arranged supporting means.

5. In a coup-ling arrangement for coupling an individual Wringer-typewashing machine with a centrifugal drier, a gear box supported above thetop of said drier and coupled with the drive mechanism of the drier, ashaft laterally extending from said gear box, means slidably engagedwith said gear box and connected to the casing of the wringer supportinggear box of the washing machine for aligning said gear boxes in properWorking positions, and means enclosed by said aligning means forcoupling the laterally extended shaft of said drier gear box with thedriven shaft of said wringer supporting gear box.

6. A coupling arrangement for coupling a drier to a Wringer type-Washingmachine, comprising power transmitting means supported above the top ofthe drier and coupled with its drive mech'- anism, a shaft laterallyextending from said n power transmitting means, means axially aligned nwith said shaft and shiftable with respect thereto for aligning andcoupling same with the wringer supporting gear box of the washingmachine, and means on said latter means for connecting same to the gearcase of said wringer supporting gear box.

7. In a coupling between a Wringer-type washing machine and acentrifugal drier rotatable means coupled with the drive mechanism ofthe drier, pivotally arranged supporting means for said rotatable meansmounted on said drier, means for locking said supporting means inadjusted position, means for coupling said rotatable means with thewringer gear box of said washing machine, and means mounted on saidsupporting means and connected to the casing of the wringer gear box forholding said casing and said supporting means in alignment.

8. In a coupling between a centrifugal drier and a wringer-type washingmachine embodying a pivotally supported wringer gear box, laterallyextended driven means on said drier and means aligned with said drivenmeans for coupling same with the pivotally supported gear box of thewashing machine, said coupling means including a pair of telescopngmeans axially aligned with said driven means, one of said telescopingmeans being adapted to be rigidly attached to the casing of saidpivotally supported wringer gear box for holding said driven means andsaid wringer gear box in alignment.

ANTON C. SCHMELZER.

